it gets better

By Sam: hello people. this picture to the left was taken by me at Mt. Rushmore, right out of Custer State Park which is where we are staying. Unluck emily i do not read my mom's blog, usually, so i don't know what she has told you. I bet emily told you about are crazy hike today it started at 8:30 a.m. and we were going up the mountain saying that we were going to go to top see the view and go back down. Then when we got up there and said we might as well take the entire 3-mile loop. We thought we were gonna finish it in a hour becaused at 9:00 a.m. it seemed like we were at the bottom of the mountain but then a stream appeared and we had to cross a billion times. (10 times) We arrived at 10:30 and missed breakfast at the lodge. So we went over to the general store and bought chips and soda and that was our breakfast and lunch. Then we went Mt. Rushmore. Where we took a million photos and ate some ice cream. Then we hit Crazy Horse. It is going to be a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggge carving of crazy horse the dead lakota chief. He was stabbed in a fight against white soldiers. Right now all the have of it is the head. Then we came back and started swimming in the creek next to our cabin. Then ate a dinner of sandwiches. Tommorow we get back into that stupid clown car for 8 hours to yellowstone it is like suicide. Well see ya.

Emily's Thingy

The trip so far is fun and my mom has pretty much told you everything and i read it and it sounds about right so i will tell you about what she hasn't told you about yet. So today we (my dad, my brothers, and i) went on a hike that was supposed to be a lovely trail called "The Lover's Leap Trail" (3 miles) which turned out to be " The Death Trap on the Mountain side" (10 miles) it really was a lovely hike though i'm serious, the view was wonderful and the running water was so soothing. The only part that was death trap-y was that we weren't prepared for wading through water, had to udjust to the altitude, and the lying sign that said only 3 miles- other than that it was beautiful plus if we were prepared for this it would have been a blast.


When we got back and insured my mom we were alive ( because we took 2 hours longer then we had told her we were going to be) we decided to go to Mount Rushmore and well......Mount Rushmore was Mount Rushmore- ya know the president's heads in the giant mountain. Then we went to the Crazy Horse sculpture and museum which has the unfinished sculpture of Crazy Horse which i thought was actually really cool especially if you are a Twilight fan because the museum was about Indian Culture and the respect of Crazy Horse so if you are a team Jacob person they talked about the tribe he is in. Then we drove back to the cabin.

Buffalo vs Bison

As Sam said, "It's finally getting interesting!" Starting off from Grand Island, NE we soon discovered that Nebraska is the biggest state on earth. However, heading north we ran into the city of Hyannis Wind Mill Days! The town of approximately 300 had gathered to look at old cars, eat Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches and listed to music pumped into the near empty street. Although the concept was a good one, in actuality it was a little spooky. Very Twilight Zone. There are lots of motorcycles in Nebraska and South Dakota. The roads are full of them, and hotels market themselves as "biker-friendly". I later learned this is due to Sturgis being in South Dakota - where the big biker fest is in August. We continued north - through the Sand Hills region. Beautiful, just as good as the Flint Hills.

As we got further north and entered South Dakota (finally) we entered the Pine Ridge Reservation and got to see a protest march of Native Americans. We haven't a clue what was being protested, but it was really moving to see the group march up the highway behind traditional drummers and chanters. The poverty was terrible and I felt ashamed of the past.

We contined through the praire in our so-called clown car. The prairie has a very manicured look, as if someone has been out there mowing it every day.


Once we entered the park, the animals sightings began in earnest. Buffalo (or bison bison - the Latin term), Prairie Dogs, Pronghorns, Burros, Elk and whitetail deer. We saw them all! Imagine, burros jsut wandering around! The place where we are staying is the State Game Lodge where Coolidge took the Whitehouse staff for the summerof 1927. A beautiful building, set into the hills, the kids were most impressed with the fact they each got their own bunk bed. Grace Coolidge stream runs in front of our cabin across from the lodge, and fish leap after the plethora of mosquitos.

Gotta go - it's breakfast time and the family is on a hike. I'm supposed to meet them for breakfast - but in a later blog you will see that they never show!

Memphis. KC and Cropdusters

Officially, our journey began with our trip to Memphis. While the trip was extremely uneventful, the kids expressed extreme displeasure with the situation within the car. They dubbed it the "torture machine" and argued a solid hour outside of Memphis. However, once we arrived in Memphis, we checked into our hotel and promptly hit the pool. Our only regret is that we never made it into the Rendezvous BBQ. Too long a line.

The next day started way too early. At 7:30AM we hit the road. We had over 8 hours to drive and we are definate wimps about driving. The first decision we made was to do away with the map and follow "Ruby" our trusty GPS. She's got a sassy British accent and we love to upset her. She indicated the fastest way to Kansas City would be to head across the middle of Arkansas and Kansas. Although Charles was wary of Ruby's decision making ability, we enjoyed the route through northern Arkasas, up into Springfield, MO and then up to Kansas City.

We experienced a low flying crop duster just feet above our car, we puzzled over the etymology of Koshkonong, Mo., (Charles insisted it was Norwegian, while I went for the Native American experience), and we prayed that the Dramamine would hold until we hit Kansas City. It did!

We drove directly to our hotel on the Country Club Plaza of KC. This has been my favorite shopping area since I was a catalog librarian at K-State many years ago. Within minutes we hit the stores. Northface, Rolex, Restoration Hardware.

And then the family reunion began. Charles' sons Dai and Ian showed up with kids in tow. It always surprises me how the kids instantly get along so well. Blood is thicker than water. After a wonderful dinner on the plaza and a couple hours of the kids swimming, we said goodnight.

I would recommend the Courtyard Marriot on the Plaza to anyone. It was the most comfortable, accomodating hotel ever. Charles let us sleep until 8:00 before demanding we arise. We ate breakfast and drove westward toward Manhattan Kansas - the Little Apple. The rolling Flint Hills were as beautiful as I remembered. Green, verdant, and glorious. K-State has grown so much since I worked there. But I was able to locate my old house, and the library. We attempted lunch in Aggieville, but the children had become petulant and we hopped in the car and roared off.

Instead we had a Mexican lunch in Marysville, KS, hometown of Charles' mother. Since he had no recollection of the town, the tour was rather uneventful. Next came the most boring section of the drive thus far. From Marysville to Grand Island, NE was filled with grain elevators and railroad yards. I spent the time studying for my upcoming courses at Marymount, with an occasional glance at the map to make sure we weren't headed to Milwaukee.

So now we rest in Grand Island. The Holiday Inn Express is brand new with a pool (we grateful - it's 101 degrees out) and wireless, and cable of course (Harry Potter entertains). As usual, Sam will sleep on the floor (he considers it a badge of honor that he never gets a bed) and Dominos delivers. Because I'm not leaving the room until the AM.

Sam: it has been a long and tiring drive and i don't have much to say so i'm just going to some it up, that picture up there is a picture of my brother jacob, my half brothers dai and ian, my neice lexy, my nephew xavier, my sister emily, ian's wife gwen, and my mom and dad. It is horrible being in that car all squeshed together in that back seat of that stupid clown car. My advice don't drive a vw jetta halfway across the country. Our stops have been great.

"Trip Eve"

The kids are packed. Their Daddy said to pack 20 sets of clothes. Huh???? So they did. I'm thinking that the VW will be packed.
A little history. After our trip to Norway last year I decided that the "green and responsible" action to take upon returning home would be to sell our two gas guzzling cars and buy a VW, much like the cars we rented while in Scandinavia. So, we got home and traded in our Honda Pilot (seats 8) and Jeep (seats 5) for a diesel, Jetta Wagon, 6 speed manual. COOL! I felt so environmentally superior to so many! Apparently I had suppressed the memory of Sam and Jacob vomiting in the scenic Norwegian mountain, due to motion sickness and crowding.

Fast Forward. Even with the little plastic pod that sits atop the car, the back fills up quickly. So, with each child carrying 20 sets of clothing, me taking clothes for 4 1/2 weeks (another story) and Charles carrying all the normal clothing options and matching sunglasses, I imagine it will be packed. Add 5 mountain packs, 2 tents, 5 sleeping bags, food for 5 for 5 days, and winter coats....well...you see our dilemma. I have purchased Dramamine.
Tomorrow we leave for Memphis. Not a long trip - only 4 hours. I think we'll do fine. But I will pass out the Dramamine early.

The packing goes on and on

Welcome to my first ever blog. Why on earth would you want to read this...I can't imagine. However, after countless hours of planning, zillions of dollars spent at Gander Mnt and various online camping sites, we are finally ready to hit the road to Yellowstone. Two weekends ago we did a "dry" run - under thunderstorm conditions. The tents did not leak, the rain suits were leak-proof and the sleeping bags warm. Of course, the temp was 84. So of course the sleeping bags were warm. In fact, the factoid best discovered was that a 3 man tent, was not large enough for a 12 year old girl and her two brothers. In fact, the campground was not big enough for the 12 year old girl.

We had planned to hike with our brand new packs, but after a night with screaming children we decided our morning was better spent reading the New York Times with a cup of tea. At home.

The following weekend, our second chance to test our hiking skills with packs proved to be record setting heat index weekend. We decided to save the city the HEMSI funds required to rescue us and stay inside. By the third weekend, we didn't try to have an excuse.

So now, three days from take off, our packs sit packed with endless packs of oatmeal, Turkey Jerkey, granola bars and tea bags. I personally hope to break a SMALL bone before the hike into the Yellowstone wilderness, thus requiring me to stay in the hotel: where there are showers, warm food, beds with mattresses and flush able toilets.